The present disclosure relates to air cooling units for network computer systems and more particularly a fan tray bracket for fan driven air cooling units.
Devices for cooling network equipment are well known in the art. Conventional methods utilize either air cooling across the face of the network equipment or liquid cooling circulating liquid within a heat exchanger attached to the equipment. While the process of liquid cooling is effective, higher operating costs result due to higher electrical power needs, expensive dielectric coolants which pose safety hazards, and substantial amounts of mechanical parts. Therefore, the preferred method is air cooling. However, air cooling also has several drawbacks.
In order to air cool network equipment, while complying with UL safety standards, a fan unit assembly is generally utilized. This fan unit assembly is equipped with an air mover, such as a fan, air filters and a guard to protect appendages from the circular motion of the fan. While the device protects the operator, the guard can impede the volume of air flow, thereby reducing product efficiency and increasing costs.
The conventional design of the blade tips relative to the inlet grill of the fan can be another drawback to air cooling. Most fans are made of hard material, having sharp edges such as metal. While in operation, the fan produces a high amount of acoustical noise due to blade-pass noise, which is a function of the fan speed and the number of blades and proximate surfaces to the blades. There are industry standards restricting the amount of noise produced as well as the concept that excessive noise is undesirable.
Another drawback is the design of the fan unit assembly itself. Conventional designs have obstructions such as the fan struts, which impede air flow through the fan unit. The obstructions reduce cross sectional flow area which restricts mass flow rates and subsequently reduce efficiency.
Conventional designs incorporate assembly features that are costly and time consuming both in the assembly process as well as in post installation maintenance procedures, such as filter replacement. This can bee due to an excessive quantity of mechanical assembly parts used to assemble the fan unit assembly and attach the fan unit assembly to the network system as well as the location of the components.
What is needed in the art is a fan unit assembly that has features in which airflow is not impeded, assembly and disassembly is simplified and cost of assembly and maintenance is reduced while improving safety.
The disclosed system is directed towards a tray bracket. The tray bracket comprises a tray bracket inlet, the tray bracket inlet has tray bracket inlet coupling elements. A tray bracket outlet is coupled to the tray bracket inlet and the tray bracket outlet has a body. The tray bracket includes a plurality of tray bracket outlet passages contiguous with the body. The plurality of tray bracket outlet passages are aligned with fan passages of at least one fan unit. The tray bracket outlet passages and the fan passages provide low impedance to air flow and low noise. The tray bracket includes attaching means contiguous with the body. The attaching means are manually demountably coupled to the tray bracket inlet coupling elements.